old try = new fave

I've now purchased three prints from the good people at Old Try, and each one has been better than advertised. Not only are their wares top quality, but they're friendly as the day is long.

Below: Texas A&M University 12th Man print, currently displayed in my living room:

I love their southern offerings--particularly their t-shirts (the Texas goodies are the best). My only regret: They haven't yet created a Lone Star flag of some sort.

For a great gift, splurge a little on their framing. Worth every penny.

play ball!

Last night, the Texas Aggies christened Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park. The season-openeing inaugural game (vs. University of Illinois-Chicago) in the shiny new park has been a long-time coming ... so wouldn't you know it ... even though we're in the throes of a year+-long drought, College Station was graced yesterday with a much-needed gullywasher. The baseball gods must've been snickering.

Two words: Rain. Out.

I managed to snap a few shots of the park (not nearly as many as I'd hoped [the precip kept me confined to the concourse]); but the good news is that an entire season awaits.

God bless you, Blue Bell Creameries (and the Kruse family). Aggieland thanks you for your generosity (and your damn fine ice cream).

 

Gig'em, Ags.

1 october 2011

The greatest month of the year has arrived, as has--not coincidentally--the first cool front of the season. After battling the hottest and driest Texas summer on record (two days ago we broke yet another triple-digit record), I'm sitting on the couch, windows open, cup of coffee by my side, and waiting for the Texas Aggies to do their thing vs. the Arkansas Razorbacks. It's been the perfect Saturday morning for reflecting over the past week and mentally compiling a list of things that have made me smile.

Texas A&M University has officially joined the Southeastern Conference.

Me, with my precious nephew, Grant, at the SEC celebration on campus.

Grabbed this dress from one of my favorite local stores, Witt's End.

(brown boots were a must with the dress)

Pumpkins have arrived at the grocery store!

We made bourbon + ginger ale + red pear cocktails at last week's tailgate

It's going to be a great month ....

it's time ...

... for Texas Aggie Football.

All photos by Thomas Campbell -- US PRESSWIRE

my favorite color

I graduated on Saturday.

It was one of the best days of my life--not because of graduation per se, but because of the time spent with my family. So many emotions involved, I'm still not able to articulate them. I doubt I'll ever forget much about the day. It didn't hurt that the weather was so perfect, you'd have thought it was ordered from a menu. I'll share photos from the festivities later.

But this post is about two gifts I received from my sister, brother-in-law, and sweet nephew and niece--four of my most favorite people on the planet. The fact that they flew down to Texas from New Hampshire for my graduation was worth more to me than anything that could be wrapped with a bow ...

... but I have a bucket list of jewelry items about which I dream. I blogged about two of them back on Valentine's Day of this year.

Guess what I received from them? Sweet, sweet Tiffany blue. Such treasures to me--for reasons that far eclipse their shiny perfection.

aggie graduation wine

(No, this isn't an Aggie joke. :) So if you're a hater, you're just gonna have to continue to hate and move along.)

For my maroon-blooded friends and family, I think you'll appreciate this. I was at H.E.B. yesterday (for the non-Texans, H.E.B. is a huge grocery chain here in the The Great State). I'm always looking for new wines to try, so I was a tad curious when I was summoned by an eager store employee, asking if I wished to buy some of the wine she was pushing.

"We've dubbed it, 'Aggie graduation wine' ... and people love it," she said.

Hmph. Yeah. Right. What do you take me for, lady ... an idiot? As cute (and over-the-top cheesy) as the idea was, I scoffed at the obvious marketing ploy.

(But I caved)

"What makes it 'Aggie graduation wine?' I asked?"

With a twinkle in her eye, the H.E.B. sommelier (ha!) responded, "It's festive. It'll make you smile. And it's maroon. Trust me. You'll love it."

I'm a sucker for anything and everything Texas A&M (the evil marketing people know this). And being that I'm receiving my second degree from Aggieland in a couple of weeks, can you blame me? So, looking around--making sure no one I knew saw me--I quickly grabbed two bottles of the Aggie wine and disappeared around the corner.

....

Fast forward to today. Guess what? The wine was fantastic. Crisp. Fruity. Multi-faceted. A sparkling, cold (something that doesn't suck on a warm Texas afternoon) Spumante that I'll definitely buy again. On top of it all, it was indeed Fightin' Texas Aggie maroon.

So without further ado, I bring you "my" Aggie graduation wine (Rocca dei Forti Brachetto) :).

Cheers & Happy May.

2010-2011 ncaa national champions

Texas A&M 76

Notre Dame 70

Gig'em